Public Health Commons^™

The Birds & The Bees Of The West Usambaras: Family Planning & Population Of Sagara & Kizanda Villages, Melissa Neville

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My study in the West Usambaras took place November 2009. The main objectives of the study were to identify the principle family planning methods of women in Sagara and Kizanda villages, why those specific methods were used, and how they may be changing over time. The study also focused on the population growth and fertility rates of the two villages. I predicted that fertility rates were high and constant, and that most women would use traditional methods of birth control, with only a few choosing to use medication available at the local health clinic or dispensary. My predictions turned out …

Lamu Sensitive Aid: Barriers To Distribution, Acceptance, And Use Of Malaria Prevention In Lamu District, Kelan Stoy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

his study examines how organizations work locally to distribute malaria aid and education for malaria prevention. Additionally, it analyzes the effectiveness this aid has in improving malaria preventative techniques used by the people of Lamu District. This effectiveness was compared in the contexts of several regions of the district to further understand differences in rural and urban settings. Information was gathered using a variety of interviews with organizations and prominent community leaders to gauge their ideas on malaria in Lamu and strategies used to prevent it, and informal field interviews to observe different communities’ perspectives on malaria and also their …

Voz De Los Internos: Atención De Salud En El Recinto Penal En Arica, Chile, Lily Hoffman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

According to both international and Chilean laws, incarceration does not affect one’s right to healthcare. Despite this protection, the health of prisoners’ remains a controversial topic in many communities, which may contribute to the inconsistencies in the levels of access to, and quality of, healthcare services in jails/prisons. A voice that is commonly overlooked, despite its value, is that of the patients of healthcare systems in jails/prisons around the world. This project was conducted in the maximum security prison complex in Arica, Chile and includes interviews with twenty-two incarcerated individuals based on their experiences with healthcare services in prison. Sixty-eight …

Conocimientos, Percepciones, Y Prácticas De Mujeres Jóvenes Acerca Del Papiloma Virus Humano, Michelle Marie Picón Ruiz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Efforts by the Chilean Ministry of Health to reduce the mortality rates due to cervical cancer by 40% during 2000 - 2010 have successfully impacted every age group except for young women between the ages of 20-24. Cervical cancer is caused by Human Papiloma Virus (HPV), the most common Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI). Both are detected by the Papanicolaou test, or Pap smear. Cervical cancer found in older women most likely developed from an HPV infection contracted in their youth. This study aims to understand the knowledge, practices, and perceptions that young women in Arica, Chile have about their …

El Rol De La Partera En La Provincia De Parinacota, Liana Langdon-Embry

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For centuries, the Aymaran people of the Parinacota Province in Northern Chile have been deeply committed to ancestral practices, where a Cosmo vision rears a connection between human beings, the natural environment, and the spiritual world. The Aymaran medicinal practices replicate this relationship, with the indigenous medicine man and midwives historically holding a central role in the natural healing of community members. This study describes the present-day role of Señora Fausta Pairo Mollo, the midwife in the altiplano region of Parinacota. In particular, it examines how her practices has been integrated into the official medical system, while also investigating how …

“I Didn’T Feel Like Living”: The Prevalence, Perceptions, And Prevention Of Hiv/Aids Among Tibetan Refugees In Kathmandu, Caitlin Macleod-Bluver

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The fight against HIV/AIDS is a global one, a concern that is addressed by both the Nepali government and the Tibetan government in exile. Both governments have taken measures to prevent the further spread of the epidemic among their populations, increase knowledge and awareness about the disease, and provide better treatment and care to those living with HIV/AIDS. However, there is a gap between these efforts, particularly within the Tibetan refugee community. As a result of Tibetan’s refugee status in Nepal, fewer resources have been allocated for dealing with and understanding the risk factors for Tibetans in exile in Nepal. …

Una Manera De Vida Diferente: Embarazos En Adolescentes Y Planificación Familiar En La Zona De Intag, Ecuador, Jennifer Dabrow

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Lack of family planning and high rates of adolescent pregnancy plague the poorest regions of the world. Not only does this deficiency result in the deaths of infants and mothers as well as significantly depressing quality of life, but, as the human population expands, we risk destroying much of the environment and natural resources upon which we depend. In Intag, a rural network of communities in the cloud forest of Ecuador, adolescent pregnancy is the norm and women commonly have upwards of 7 children. Working in the Subcentro health clinic of Apuela, I interviewed 50 mothers regarding their age during …

Constructions Of Disease In Mayo Village, Rachel Eades

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Understanding how individuals and institutions negotiate illness and construct ideas about disease is important to public health efforts across the globe. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from a variety of health problems that many regions of the world have long since eradicated. Economic hardship, combined with high rates of communicable diseases, food poverty, lack of sanitation, and poor water quality make countries in sub-Saharan Africa some of the poorest and sickest in the world. Tanzania is a prime example. The purpose of this study was to explore how people in one rural, Tanzanian village construct ideas about disease – its …

Mandatory Measles Vaccination Program: Is There A Place For One In Switzerland?, Anne Rushman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The investigation of this topic began as a curiosity from the measles outbreak in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland in early 2009. As I began to gain a deeper knowledge of the subject of measles and measles vaccination in this community I saw the potential it held as a topic to explore my interests in the juncture of public policy and public health. As I approached the topic of measles vaccination from not only a public health perspective but also from that of political and ethical perspective I was able to make an analysis of potential changes in the health …

“The Womb People” : Detection, Treatment, And Prevention Of Cervical Cancer With The Khayelitsha Cervical Cancer Screening Project In Khayelitsha, South Africa, Kirsten Lynch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The current policy concerning cervical cancer screenings is not effectively addressing the specific needs of the female South African population. The program, as outlined by the South African Department of Health, is not sufficiently accessing women due to problems in availability, access, organization, and education. As women are living longer with HIV/AIDS, due to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, they are becoming more susceptible to opportunistic infections that can lead to cervical cancer, such as Human strains of the virus can be prevented with administration of an HPV vaccination and advancement of precancerous lesions can be detected and treated with current technology. …

Mitigating The Impact Of Aids On A Rural Community: Observations Of The Inner Workings Of A Rural Non-Governmental Organization, Kara Huselton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study project was to understand the impact of HIV/AIDS on a community and to assess the ability of a non-governmental organization to mitigate the negative effects of disease and poverty in the spaces where the government has failed to address community needs. The author observed employees at the Bhekuzulu Self Sufficient Project in rural KwaZulu Natal over a period of three and a half weeks in order to gain an understanding of the work done there. Secondary research was done to supplement these observations and better understand the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS on a …

Public Health Ethics: Establishing “Durable Solutions” Within The Global Polio Eradication Initiative In Nigeria, Tiffany T. Mason

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Discussions on public health ethics often appeal to the same codes of conduct established in the field of bioethics. Principles of bioethics contribute to the morality of the study of public health—proposing an optimal code of conduct in the medical care and human research aspects of the field. For example, public health researchers are aware of their obligations to consider informed consent, confidentiality, and the equal distribution of risks and benefits in the implementation of their studies and interventions. However, public health practice extends far beyond medical care and human research. Thus, it is inappropriate to assume that codes established …

Tuberculosis Por Los Ojos De La Vida Aymara: La Correlación Entre Estilo De Vida Y Tuberculosis En Los Aymara Del Norte De Chile, Sam Percy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Explanations for disparities in health between groups of people are complex, and based in differences in genetics, environment, access to medical care, socioeconomic, educational, and cultural factors. In short a person’s lifestyle is inextricably related to a person’s health and their propensity to contract disease. Members of the indigenous group Aymara who live in Arica, Chile have 6 times the rate of morbidity from Tuberculosis (TB) as non-Aymara and 9 times the rate of mortality from the disease. This study examined if there was a link between the rate of TB amongst the Aymaran people and the way Aymarans …

La Calidad Del Agua Potable En Arica, Con Respecto A La Salud, Emily Lubell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Water is essential to sustain life, and the availability of safe drinking water is a concern throughout the world. This study examines the potential negative health effects related to drinking the potable water in Arica, Chile. It also looks at who has access to purified water. This study was implemented over a span of four weeks in which information was collected from different local resources including, the potable water distributor, private water vendors, professors, and public health service workers. In comparison with 2001, 2009 levels of boron, total hardness and total dissolved solids are higher in concentration. In both 2001 …

A Concentrated Look At Hiv/Aids: Transmission To Low Risk Women Through Intravenous Drug Users And Female Sex Workers In Da Nang City, Vietnam, Danielle A. Depeau

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Female sex workers (FSW) and intravenous drug users (IDU) whom were living in Da Nang City, Vietnam, along with the women and children associated with these individuals, were interviewed to study the effects of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In addition, an understanding how the epidemic was spreading from high-risk populations to the general population was explored. This was achieved by learning the history of sexual behaviors in regards to sexual partners and regularity of condom use, as well as drug injection practices, HIV/AIDS education, treatment, gender status and socio-demographic characteristics.

Informal interviews were conducted …

Economics, Epidemics & Eradication: A Case Study Of Malaria In Madagascar, Kathleen Minton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite effective techniques for preventing and treating malaria, the malaria burden in Madagascar remains quite high, particularly in rural areas where poor villagers are more isolated from health services, and less likely to be able to afford prevention methods or treatment. In response to this challenge, Madagascar’s government has made malaria eradication a high priority, stating that it hopes to reduce the incidence of malaria from its current level of 1,234,520 to 320,000 by 2012, and to eliminate the disease entirely by 2018. Ultimately, though, it remains to be seen if their efforts will be sufficient to meet these ambitious …

The Integration Of Traditional And Western Medicine In Ngaoundéré, Cameroon, Alison Hardy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to examine how patients in Ngaoundéré Cameroon integrate traditional and Western medicine, and how they perceive such integration on the part of their health care providers. Interviews were conducted with thirty-five patients of the Hôpital Provincial and of traditional medical practitioners in the neighbourhood of Yarmbang. Both modern and traditional health care providers were also interviewed. Patients generally believe that the two types of medicine have different strengths related to cost, accessibility, accuracy of diagnosis and treatment, ability to treat certain illnesses, and practitioners’ understanding of patients’ culture. Patients decide whether to use modern …

Interning At The Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Office In Geneva, Casie Reiss

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The following report outlines and analyzes the internship and interactive research undertaken by the student, Casie Reiss, during the independent research period. The one-month internship was completed at the Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Office in Geneva in the Operational Communications Department. The subject of research was “The evolution of public positions of the main actors involved in addressing malnutrition.”

Surgeons And Bureaucrats: An Interactive Research Experience At The World Health Organization, Hannah Lust

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During a recent internship at a general hospital in my hometown of Dallas, I could occasionally be found lurking around the main surgical unit. I wanted to be surrounded by the atmosphere of saving lives by manipulating the tiniest capillaries, the most sensitive nerves, the most essential organs. The idea of racing against the clock to save a life, yet having to work with the utmost care is one that is unsettling and enthralling to me all at once. Surgery is infinitely intricate, exceedingly precise, and beautifully complex. And quite simply, it fascinates me. At the same time, I am …

Health As A Basic Human Right: Efficacy Of Quality Assurance For Healthcare In Uganda, Ally Pregulman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Quality of health care is an important aspect of health services delivery because of its ability to maximize outputs within given resource constraints. Quality assurance programs for health care are paramount to the realization of good quality health care because of their ability to identify gaps in service provision. The Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in health care have created quality assurance supervision and support programs for the health sector, yet there is a disconnect between the programs and the operational realities of the sector. The health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are far from being achieved within Uganda and …

Smarter Mothers, Healthy Children, Smaller Families: A Look At The Impact Of Women’S Education On Family Planning Decisions In The Sultanate Of Oman, Kerala Hise

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Is there a single, perfect, cure-all policy that a government can enact to achieve sustained development? This is a question international organizations and individual leaders ask themselves every day. There will always be ‘less-developed’ nations, this is a reality of having ‘developed’ nations, but there is no reason that humanity should allow there to be ‘under-developed’ nations, not when we have at hand the tools and knowledge to enact immediate, sweeping changes now. However, because different people, different groups feel that their idea or proposal is of the utmost importance, that change is often never realized. Often, too much value …

Cancer Control: A Comparison For Progress, Stephanie Lachapelle

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The cancer burden in developing countries like Yemen is significant. These countries are presently ill equipped to adequately provide quality cancer control and care because they have limited financial and medical resources. The first steps to necessary to adequately control the eminent cancer crisis in these countries is to initiate sustainable, cost-effective cancer control strategies. This includes the development of a national cancer control framework, enacting preventative educational programs, increasing biomedical treatment capacity, addressing the need for patient empowerment, and training a significant number of medical professionals. These initiatives can be successfully implemented and supported by networks between various aspects …

“We’Re Talking About Sex”: Young Adults And Sexual Health In Northern Ireland, Caroline Erin Morris

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Sex Education In Amsterdam: What They Do And Why They Choose To Do It., Coral E. Hackler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sex education in the Netherlands has been regarded by many as exemplary. Around the world the phrase “Double Dutch” is known as the term of using both the condom and the pill. The actual effectiveness of sexuality education in the Netherlands has rarely been studied. The teachers themselves must decide what they believe will be the most effective methods of sexuality education. This begs one to question why a teacher chooses the methods they have chosen and what makes them believe that these methods are effective. Because there is no research on how sexuality education is directly influencing students, teachers …

¨En Este País No Se Habla Con La Verdad¨: Investigando La Falta De Educación Sexual En El Ecuador¨, Laney Rupp

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

The Complexity Of Re-Evaluating Antiretroviral Therapy Eligibility Guidelines For Hiv/Aids Patients In Uganda, Jennifer Klein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

When I first learned that the eligibility criteria for Antiretroviral Drugs (ARVs) in Uganda is to have a CD4 cell count of 200 or below, I was shocked. Actually, I think my exact response was, “So patients must have full-blown AIDS, severely weakened immune systems, and may be on their deathbeds before they can receive the drugs?” I knew little of the subject, other than that in the United States HIV-positive patients who are on drugs may avoid many of the opportunistic infections and complications that come from delaying treatment until the CD4 count is low. My initial confusion over …

Como Mujer…Yo Decido: El Derecho De Salud Sexual Y Reproductiva En Mujeres Aymara De Putre, Chile, Alice Manos

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The human right to sexual and reproductive health, as defined at the International United Nations Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994), continues to be a pending issue in Chile. The sexual and reproductive health of indigenous women emerges as a crucial issue within this field due to Chile’s history of cultural ignorance and a dictatorial healthcare system. Studies of women’s sexual and reproductive healthcare within indigenous communities in Chile have focused on the Cosmo vision and traditional medicine of the Aymara due to their distinct concepts of reproduction, gender roles, and family planning. Studies conducted by Maria Soledad Pérez …

Give Life Without Losing Life: The Casa Materna Of Matagalpa And The Struggle To Prevent Maternal Death, Lily Emiko Friedman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Maternal mortality has a face. It is the health indicator with the greatest disparity between the developed and developing worlds, disproportionately affecting poor women with low levels of education, high levels of fertility, and inadequate access to health services. It is the health inequality that most clearly shows how poor health outcomes continue to be directly linked to poverty and socioeconomic disadvantage, while the right to safe pregnancy and motherhood comes with economic privilege. As it occupies such a critical position in community health, maternal mortality has been widely studied and the target of countless health interventions aimed at its …

Taming The Mind: Current Mental Health Treatments And Obstacles To Expanding The Western-Model In A Tibetan Exile Community, Dylan Brock

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

South Africa’S Unsung “She-Roes”: A Practicum Study Of Npo Grandmothers Against Poverty And Aids, Khayelitsha Township, Cape Town, Rachel Pryzby

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Across Africa, the AIDS pandemic has forced HIV+ individuals and orphaned children into the care of elderly women. Though this has occurred in millions of families, little support has been offered for the grandmothers supporting children and grandchildren on a limited income. This study reports on a practicum study at Grandmothers Against Poverty and AIDS (GAPA), the first African organization to recognize the important role played by grandmothers in light of HIV/AIDS. The study was conducted in April 2008 at the GAPA center in Khayelitsha Township, Cape Town. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the organization’s origin, …